Kohl loses battle to keep Stasi files secret By Kate Connolly in Berlin (Filed: 18/09/2003) The former German chancellor Helmut Kohl yesterday lost a legal attempt to prevent the publication of thousands of pages of potentially explosive records compiled about him by the East German secret police, the Stasi. A court in Berlin decided that, as a public figure, Mr Kohl's files should be made accessible to researchers. The ruling, which overturns an earlier decision, is in line with a new law passed by parliament last year. Lawyers for Mr Kohl, who did not appear in court, said they would...

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- John Bothe was unemployed with time to spare - so he paid a radio station about $1,000 for air time to showcase his talents as host of a Saturday sports show. Now he's finding the price of that show may be much higher. The state Labor Department determined that Bothe's unpaid radio gig qualified as work and disqualified him from receiving unemployment benefits. Not only has the state put a halt on future benefits, it wants Bothe to return $605 he already collected. "My definition of work is doing a job and getting paid for it,...

<p>CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Police searching for a sniper suspect in West Virginia were called to investigate another report of gunfire outside a convenience store, but said there was no evidence to confirm a shooting took place.</p>
<p>Charleston Police Chief Jerry Pauley said Thursday that police were investigating the report late Wednesday from Dunbar, about 5 miles from Charleston. But he said police had found no physical evidence of a shooting.</p>

The U.S. Coast Guard has revoked the license of a charter fishing captain whose boat capsized last year, killing two. In a ruling made public Thursday, Judge Edwin Bladen took Ted D. Howell to task not so much for having violated Coast Guard rules but over whether the charter guide had learned anything from the experience. Specifically, the judge cited the captain's "cavalier attitude" toward life jackets. Howell was piloting a 25-foot boat on May 18, 2002, when a fast-moving 12-foot wave capsized it south of Tillamook Bay. Both of Howell's passengers drowned. Howell, 77, who was able to swim...

Army loses political authority in Turkey By Amberin Zaman in Ankara (Filed: 31/07/2003) Turkey's parliament yesterday significantly curtailed the power of the country's generals, who until now have kept their major influence on politics despite not carrying out a coup for more than 20 years.Ignoring objections from the military, MPs voted by a show of hands in favour of proposals intended to help the country's drive to join the European Union. The changes will revolutionise the conduct of Turkish politics on a scale comparable only to those launched by the founder of the modern republic, Kemal Ataturk. After their third...

GOOD THING DINGELL WON, WAXMAN WOULD HAVE TAKEN THE ENERGY COMMITTEE CHAIR IF THE RATS WIN THE MAJORITY. PLUS HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN PRO GUN AND WAS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD FOR SOME TIME. CALLED RUBY RIDGE FBI RESCUE HOSTAGE TEAM JACK BOOTED THUGS.. RIVERS WAS RUNNING ON ANTI GUN SHUT DOWN THE AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY PLANK, CAN'T UNDERSTAND ANYONE AROUND DETROIT DOING THAT BUT SHE LOOKS LIKE SHE WILL BE ABOVE 45% OF VOTE. AMAZING